Compare the camera performance of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 against the iPhone and S25 Ultra - my hands-on evaluation
Galaxy Z Fold 7 Outshines Fold 6 with Flagship Camera Upgrade
The latest iteration of Samsung's foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, has made a significant leap in camera performance, rivalling flagship devices like the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The Fold 7's main camera now boasts a 200MP Isocell HP2 sensor, the same as the S25 Ultra, delivering excellent image quality in both bright and low light conditions. The phone retains the older 10MP 3x telephoto lens from the Fold 4/Fold 6 era and a 12MP ultra-wide with new autofocus and macro capabilities.
In various lighting conditions, the Fold 7 performs admirably. In low light, it produces bright and usable images comparable to the S25 Ultra, although the latter shows a slightly better rendering of subtle lighting effects like candlelight. In general or daylight conditions, the Fold 7 offers flagship main camera quality close to the S25 Ultra, improving from earlier Fold models which lagged behind. The ultra-wide lens’s autofocus also lets it take impressive macro shots comparable to the iPhone.
However, the Fold 7 lags behind the S25 Ultra in terms of zoom abilities. With a 3x telephoto lens and a max 30x digital zoom, it falls short compared to the S25 Ultra's two zoom lenses — a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto and a 10MP 3x telephoto — allowing it to reach up to 100x digital zoom with better sharpness and detail.
When compared to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the Fold 7's ultra-wide macro shots are "very similar to the iPhone," suggesting competitive image quality at least in that specific mode. The Fold 7 benefits from Samsung’s upgraded Pro visual engine with improved color science and post-processing, though some saturation may still be present compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s typically more natural color rendering.
Here's a summary table of the key camera points for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Fold 6, S25 Ultra, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and iPhone 16 Pro Max:
| Device | Main Camera | Telephoto Zoom | Ultra-wide | Low Light Performance | Zoom Quality | |---------------------|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------| | Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 200MP Isocell HP2 (same as S25 Ultra) | 10MP 3x telephoto; max 30x digital zoom | 12MP ultra-wide with autofocus/macro | Very good; similar brightness to S25 Ultra | Good up to 3x; degrades beyond | | Galaxy Z Fold 6 | Older main sensor, less capable | Same 10MP 3x telephoto | Older ultra-wide, no autofocus | Inferior to Fold 7 | Same 3x telephoto; quality lower than Fold 7 | | Galaxy S25 Ultra | 200MP flagship main sensor | 50MP 5x telephoto + 10MP 3x telephoto; 100x digital zoom max | 50MP ultra-wide | Very good; best candlelight rendering | Superior zoom range and quality | | Pixel 9 Pro Fold | Not detailed in results | Not detailed | Not detailed | Not detailed | Not detailed | | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Not detailed; known for natural colors| Not detailed | Ultra-wide with strong macro | Not detailed | Not detailed |
In conclusion, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 significantly improves camera capability over the Fold 6, mainly due to the upgraded main sensor aligning it with the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s flagship quality, especially excelling in low light. However, it lags behind the S25 Ultra’s extensive zoom abilities due to lacking a higher-periscope telephoto lens. Its macro and color processing have improved to be competitive with iPhone’s ultra-wide performance, but saturation can be more intense by default. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold was not directly compared in the available data.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 7 boasts a 200MP Isocell HP2 sensor, the same as the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra, making it a formidable player in the smartphone market when it comes to gadgets with outstanding camera technology.
- The Fold 7's main camera, with its new autofocus and macro capabilities, offers flagship quality in both daylight and low light conditions, placing it alongside other smartphones like the iPhone in terms of working efficiently with diverse technology for impressive photography.
